Many walk-behind lawnmowers or mowing machines are self-propelled, where one or more of the lawnmower wheels are driven in order to move the working machine. The wheel(s) are typically driven by a lawnmower drive system that can include a combustion engine or an electric motor. As a result, in self-propelled lawnmowers, there is typically a drive control, such as, for example, a mechanical drive control, located near the end of the lawnmower handle, to engage and disengage the drive system in order to prevent the lawnmower from moving at all times.
Yet, using a mechanical drive control (e.g. bale, lever) to engage and disengage the drive system can be unduly cumbersome to the operator, since it is necessary to periodically disengage the drive system when mowing a lawn—most often when mowing a lawn in rows and/or following the perimeter of the lawn. In these cases, the operator must disengage the drive system at the end of a row, or at a corner, i.e. instances where the lawnmower must be turned. In order to turn the lawnmower the operator must release the mechanical drive control, reposition the machine, and then subsequently re-engage the drive control. This sequence occurs many times even when mowing a small lawn, and requires the operator to reposition his or her hands many times in order to engage or disengage the drive system when making turns.
As a result, a need exists for a mowing machine or lawnmower that is more intuitive, more efficient, and easier to use. Specifically, a need exists for a self-propelled, walk-behind lawnmower that incorporates an automatic turn-sensing ground speed reduction system in order to allow an operator to focus only on mowing without concern about engaging and/or disengaging the drive system when turning the machine.